Open market borrowing can be ended if taxes collected on time'

: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi,on a 'name and shame' strategy to recover dues from power defaulters, today said open open market borrowing can be ended if bills are paid on time and proper recoveries made.

In a WhatsApp message to mediapersons,she said Puducherry borrowed Rs 1,075 crore last year and paid Rs 350 crore for past borrowings.

"If people pay their bills on time and proper recoveries are madefrom defaulting consumers,the Union Territory of Puducherry can eliminate open market borrowing to save future generations from debt burden, repayment and heavy interests," she said.

The former IPS officer has intensified her efforts to ensure that those defaulting in payment of taxes to the departments of electricity and local administrationor commercial taxespay their dues.

She said an action plan evolved at a joint meeting she convened earlier at Raj Nivas with Secretaries to Finance and Revenue and Deputy Commissioner Excise, which decided that all departments should improve recoveries from long standing defaulters.

"All departments will resort to e-auction of assets which have been legally identified once the statutory period is over. Such properties after legal opinion and processes, could be attached and taken over by the government," Bedi said.

It was also decided that sign boards be erected on the properties of defaulters with their names, stating that they are defaulters' properties, open for auction.

Names of defaulters of payment of taxes would continue to be published in newspapers and also be posted on websites of the departments concerned, the Lt Governor said.

Photos of defaulters would also be posted on the websites in addition to their names, she added.